News - More than 330,000 people in Gaza forced to leave their homes

More than 330,000 people in Gaza have been forced to flee their homes since Israel began shelling the enclave, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In a statement, OCHA expressed concern over the damage to civilian infrastructure in Gaza. Israel has begun to blockade the densely populated enclave, cutting off its electricity, fuel, and water supply. In the past 24 hours, the cumulative number of displaced people from Gaza has increased by 30 percent and now stands at 338,934, more than two-thirds of whom have taken shelter in the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) schools, the statement added. The Palestinian ministry of health said earlier that 600,000 people in Gaza were without water, and some hospitals were using water from wells. The death toll in Gaza is approaching 1,200 since Saturday, the ministry had added. At the same time, the World Food Program said it was committed to providing critical food relief for more than 800,000 people.